Jess had just finished weaving my long, dark hair into two braids on either side of my head, tying them together at the back.
“Your hair is so beautiful,” she said, “I wish mine was like yours.”
She picked up a brush and began to smooth it down my back. As she brushed, she touched a bruise on my neck and I winced.
“Where’d you get this?” she asked.
I bit my lip, hesitating. Seeing my reluctance, she nodded.
“It’s okay. You don’t have to tell me. Anyway, you look amazing,” she reassured me.
I stood up from my bed, looking down at my denim shorts that hugged my ass and my white vest top. I had white sandals on my feet and an open white shirt that hung just below my bottom.
“I haven’t been to a beach party since I was a kid,” I confessed.
“It’s pretty much the same, just with booze and better music. You like to dance, right?”
“I haven’t danced in a long time,” I admitted.
“Don’t worry, Logan and I will take care of you. Let’s go. We have to walk to the beach.”
She grabbed my hand, practically dragging me out of my room and down the stairs. We left the house, Jess locking the door behind us. Logan was waiting outside, wearing three-quarter denim shorts and a tight white t-shirt.
He looked me up and down, frowning.
“Are you sure you should be wearing that?” he asked, his tone firm.
“Who are you, her dad?” Jess teased, linking arms with me.
We moved around the side of the house, where Logan unlocked a gate. We walked through it, into the back garden. At the end of the garden, Logan lifted a fence panel and Jess pulled me under it.
We emerged onto a grassy bank. Logan closed the panel behind us and joined us.
The sea air hit me, and I took a deep breath. It was cleansing, peaceful.
Jess slipped off her shoes and I followed suit. Carrying my shoes, I followed her over the grassy bank and onto the warm sand.
The sand felt like soft powder beneath my feet, and I let out a groan of pleasure.
“This is heaven,” I said, spinning around.
I moved closer to the shore, stepping into the ankle-deep water. I followed Jess and Logan down the beach, noticing small groups heading towards the house Jess had mentioned earlier. A knot of excitement formed in my stomach. It had been so long since I’d let loose and had some fun.
“How old are you again, Tayla?” Jess asked, walking beside me.
“I’m twenty-three. And you?”
“I’m twenty-five. I’m an Aries.”
“I’m a Libra,” I told her.
She clapped her hands.
“Aries and Libra are soulmates,” she declared.
“According to who?” I laughed.
“Jess, she’s into guys, not girls,” Logan interjected.
Was Jess into girls? I felt my cheeks heat up and I looked down at my feet.
“Hey, don’t be embarrassed. I’ll just admire from a distance,” she laughed.
“Are you still into guys?” I teased Logan.
His face broke into a shocked expression and he bent down, scooping up some seawater and splashing me with it.
“Asshole!” I cried, splashing him back.
Jess was giggling, dodging the water flying from both of us.
“You’re so dead!”
Suddenly, Logan tackled me, pinning me down into the sand. He held my hands on either side of my head. I cried out as the breath was knocked from me, the sound almost like a moan.
Logan’s face hovered above me and I saw him glance down at my breasts in my top. I guess they weren’t there the last time he pinned me down?
He stuttered and then stood up, pulling me up by my hands.
“Sorry...I guess we’re too old to play like we used to,” he said, clearly embarrassed.
I held up my hands and nodded.
“It’s cool.”
I fell back in line with Jess, Logan trailing behind us.
“That got awkward,” I whispered to Jess.
“He didn’t mean anything by it. I guess he’s just realizing you’re a woman now, not just his cousin?”
I winced and we continued to walk in silence.
Finally, we arrived at the house. There were tables of drinks and BBQs, and a dance floor had been set up on the beach with a DJ and huge speakers.
People were dancing, eating, and chatting, and I suddenly felt nervous.
“Don’t worry, gorgeous, I’ve got you,” Jess reassured me, taking my hand.
She got us both a cheeseburger, and once we’d eaten, she got us a few vodka shots and encouraged me to down them quickly with her.
We shared a plate of dip and chips, followed by more shots.
Two hours later, I was starting to feel a buzz and began to loosen up a bit.
Jess introduced me to a group of her friends, all of whom had partners. We all sat on the sand behind the DJ area, drinking and talking as it grew darker.
Fairy lights were switched on, and a bonfire was lit a good distance from the house, providing some warmth.
After a few more shots of vodka, I was starting to feel a bit drunk, but not sick.
“Let’s dance!” Jess said, pulling me to my feet and leading me to the dance floor.
She pulled me into the middle of the dance floor and began to move confidently to the music.
“Come on, girl, move that sexy ass!” she encouraged.
I shrugged and began to move with her, copying her moves until I felt confident enough to do my own thing.
Jess cheered and danced with me. Feeling brave, I dropped to the ground, shaking my ass, and she screamed.
I laughed and spun around to the beat of the music, feeling free and wonderful.
I raised my hands in the air, bouncing them to the beat of the music. I noticed a few other people doing the same.
“Go Tayla!” Jess cheered.
A young man approached me, but Jess wagged her finger at him and he backed off.
Looking around, I noticed we were surrounded by mostly men dancing around us. I grinned.
I hadn’t felt this good in a long time!
I turned my head slightly, catching sight of a group of men making their way onto the dance floor. They parted the crowd like the Red Sea, and a towering figure moved towards me.
His hair was as black as midnight, and another man, with hair of the same shade, walked beside him.
The taller man’s eyes were a mesmerizing green, reminiscent of jade, while the other man’s were a striking sky blue.
Both pairs of eyes were locked on me as they closed the distance.
Jess was pushed back into the crowd as I kept moving to the rhythm of the music.
The tall man was dressed in black jeans and a black vest top, revealing an arm covered in tattoos.
He sported an extended goatee and wore silver rings on his left hand.
His arms were massive, rippling with muscle, and he gave off an aura of a predatory vampire.
As he neared me, I halted my dance and looked up at him.
“Don’t stop,” he said softly.
I resumed my dance, and the shorter man circled us, positioning himself behind me.
The tall man extended his hand, curling it around my hip, pulling me against him as he began to move his hips in sync with mine.
The man behind me gripped my other hip, grinding his crotch against me.
My backside pressed into the man behind me, while the man in front of me moved closer.
This was intense!
I was sandwiched between not one, but two incredibly attractive men, their combined cologne creating a heady mix.
I had never felt more exhilarated as they moved against me in rhythm.
The man in front of me slid his hand up my back, pushing me backward so I tilted back, and then slowly I arched back up to him.
Our eyes met as he repeated this motion in time with the music.
The man behind me planted a soft kiss on the side of my neck and thrust his crotch against me with force.
I swayed and wriggled my hips between them, and just as the song ended, the man in front of me traced my bottom lip with his finger.
He was about to say something when a sudden commotion made him turn away from me, and the man behind me dashed off towards the noise.
Suddenly, my hand was seized, and I was yanked off the dance floor.
